Enjoy an afternoon out of town - discovering the residences once owned by the Medici family. Removed from the bustle of busy Florence, these elegant country houses still attest to the beauty and comforts of villa life. Seeking to escape from the stress and strain of life in the city, the Medici princes fled to their luxurious country villas. Spend a memorable afternoon discovering Villa La Petraia and the Villa di Castello – just outside the Florence city gates!

When: Wednesdays and Saturdays from April to October.

Start: 2:00 pm

Duration: approx. 3.5 hours.

Meeting Point: in front of the Hard Rock Cafe, via Brunelleschi 1, just off Piazza della Repubblica, 15 minutes before the start of the tour.

The Villa “La Petraia,” dwelling of grand duke Ferdinand I and later of his grandson prince Don Lorenzo de' Medici, still preserves the splendid gardens in the Italian style. The villa itself boasts a spectacular entrance court complete with glass ceiling, as well as highly elegant and richly furnished period interiors and a curious collection of parlor games.

The Villa di Castello is where Sandro Botticelli's masterful Birth of Venus and Primavera were originally at home. The villa and the gardens in particular offered Cosimo I relaxation far from his busy court in Florence. The design of the splendid gardens had a profound influence on the landscape architecture of the Italian Renaissance garden and later of the French formal gardens. Embellished with grottoes, fountains, and statues, Castello still preserves a spectacular group of citrus fruit trees collected by the Medici from the 16th century onwards.

IMPORTANT: Your booking will be confirmed as soon as the minimum number of 4 participants has been reached. You nevertheless need to have paid for the tour in order to hold your place. As soon as the tour has been confirmed, you will be sent a voucher, which you need to show at the meeting point. Should the tour not reach the minimum number of participants and therefore be canceled, you will receive a full reimbursement for this tour.

PLEASE NOTE: Immediately after submitting an order, you will receive two emails. The first email contains your order summary (this one you receive immediately after placing your order), the second email confirms your successful payment (as soon as the minimum number of 4 participants has been reached, see above). In order to receive these two emails, please make sure that you enter your email address correctly and check that antispam or antivirus filters do not block emails from our [email protected] address. Users of AOL, Comcast and Sbcglobal.net need to pay special attention to this, please. Vouchers will also be available, one business day after the request, at your dashboard.

All client cancellations must arrive up to 8 days before the date of the tour/course/service to be reimbursed free of charge.

If you cancel 8 to 2 days before the date, 10% of the fee will have to be paid.

From two days prior to the tour/course/service beginning, the payment of the entire amount will be due and no reimbursement will be granted.

No refund will be granted to any client who is not at the place of departure at the time established. Similarly, no refund will be granted to clients who lose contact with the guide or who do not complete the excursion or service.

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